GECOM’s six-month work-plan includes preparation of voters’ list
–-DCEO, Vishnu Persaud

DEPUTY Chief Elections Officer (DECO) Mr. Vishnu Persaud has confirmed that the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) six-month work plan includes preparation of a voter’s list to facilitate the hosting of local government elections.

He explained that the existing Preliminary List of Electors, currently subjected to the ongoing claims and objections process which ends on Thursday, cannot work for the local government elections.

“This list is for general and regional elections,” Persaud said.

PREPARING THE LIST
He added that in the event of local government elections being called, the names to be included on a voters’ list would be taken from the National Register of Registrants. That list would subsequently be subjected to a claims and objections process in the various local government districts.

In a statement to the media last month, GECOM said: “Prior to the claims and objections exercise for local government elections, preliminary voters’ lists will be produced and posted for public scrutiny at conspicuous points within all of the 585 constituencies.

“This would be carried out so that all stakeholders, especially electors, can check for the accuracy of their respective listings, as well as that of others.

“Should any incorrectness pertaining to their particulars be observed, the relevant elector can, and should, apply to GECOM during the claims and objections exercise for the necessary correction(s) to be made.

“On the other hand, electors could also object, again during the claims and objections exercise, to the inclusion of any elector whom they have reason to believe should not be on the list.”

The Commission has also made it clear that it did in fact “walk the ground to determine the boundaries for the 585 constituencies within all of the existing Local Authority Areas, and carried out the associated physical verification within the communities. All this was done with the absolute involvement of party scrutineers, it said.

Additionally, as is the norm, copies of the entire voters’ list would be shared with the political parties contesting the elections, for scrutiny – a move the Commission contends would bolster the confidence of the contesting political parties in the Final Voters’ List produced for the elections.

WORK-PLAN
GECOM has also indicated that its work plan puts the timeframe for the conduct of the elections at 180 days commencing from the appointment of a date by order given by the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development for the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE).

According to the Commission, the 180-day timeframe has nothing to do with GECOM’s “preparedness”, as this timeframe is largely a result of the sequential statutory requirements and other prerequisite activities for the conduct of the elections.

GECOM’s work plan for local government elections, which is being reviewed constantly, contains several major statutory and administrative tasks, some of which will be implemented concurrently, eg: the acquisition of non-sensitive election materials; advertising/training/ evaluation/hiring of Election Day workers; public education; claims and objections, etc. Each of these activities can be undertaken concomitantly, and indeed are currently being addressed.

The Commission insisted that the work plan can be implemented only according as GECOM’s needs – financial resources — are met in a timely manner.

GECOM maintains that it is “fully prepared and committed” to moving formally into an election mode with immediacy if, and when, the Commission is mandated to conduct Local Government Elections.

The Commission, in its statement said, “It must be emphasized that GECOM is fully prepared to stage Local Government Elections once a date for Local Government Elections is announced.

“Immediately following any such announcement, GECOM can begin the statutory steps required to hold the elections. These statutory prerequisites have been shared with stakeholders, including political parties, the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the international development partners, and other interested parties.”

GECOM’s statement follows the recognition of repeated calls for the hosting of local government elections and expressions of concern over the readiness of the Commission for the process.

Local government elections were last held in 1970. Subsequent to 1994, the elections could not be conducted because of their coinciding with the general and regional elections of 1997.

Additionally, the House passed the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which states that elections must be held on or before August 1, 2014. The August date was made via an amendment to the Bill, proposed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) while the House was in Committee. However, this bill has not been assented to by the Head of State.

(By Vanessa Narine)